Optimum soil moisture is essential for growth, yield and quality of fruits. Under low moisture conditions, floral sex shifts towards female sterility, resulting in low yield. At the same time, over-irrigations may cause root-rot disease. Thus efficient water management is required in papaya cultivation. Number of irrigations depend upon soil type and weather conditions of the region. Protective irrigation is required in the first year of planting. In the second year when its plants are ladden with fruits, irrigation at fortnightly interval in winter and at 10 days interval in summer is needed from October till May.

Generally basin system of irrigation is used but care is taken to avoid water stagnation around the plant. In low rainfall area, where the water is scarce, sprinkler or drip system can be adopted. Papaya plants are very susceptible to waterlogging. Even 24hr stagnation with water may kill the well-established plants. Therefore it is most important to select upland for papaya plantation. It may further be shaped slopy in heavy rainfall areas to make a few furrows or trenches for quick and complete drainage of water during rainy season.